Packing box



Sept 4, 19H51 E. M. ROSE ETAL 2,566,500

PACKING Box Filed May 22, 194s .JWAQQ 114.', Ragga Patented Sept. 4, ,y 1951 PACKING BOX Edward M. Rose and Rodney W. Epps, Sanger, Calif.

Application May 22, 1948, Serial No. 28,648

Z Claims.

This invention relates to packing boxes and more particularly to so-called lug boxes for packlng, storage, and transportation of fruits and vegetables.

It has been found that in the conventional lug boxes with nailed-on covers that the nailing of the covers on the boxes is comparatively expensive, requiring a nailing machine when speed. is desired. Without a nailing machine the nailing of the covers by hand is expensive and slow. In view of this objection to the conventional method of nailing the covers or lids on lug boxes, it is one object of the present invention to provide a novel construction for the lid attachment to a lug box in Vwhich the lids are quickly, conveniently, and economically located in cov ering position on the boxes.

It is the usual practice to arch the lids of lug boxes whereby crushing of the contents of` the box is precluded. In nailing the lid in the conventional lug box, the box is i'llled with fruit or vegetables and the cover is arched over and against the contents and nailed in arched condition with the inner side of the cover pressed against the contents, thereby tending to crush the fruits or vegetables. In view of this dif- Iiculty of the usual type of lug boxes it is another object of this invention to provide a novel construction for a lug box, and lid therefor, in which the ends of the box are longitudinally grooved near their upper edge with a resilient lid longer than the distance between the grooves, whereby it is installed by inserting one edge of the lid into one groove, arching the lid, and inserting the other edge in thel other groove in the opposite end of the box. By this construction and method of arching the lid it is not necessary for the lid to press against the contents of the box thereby avoiding the crushing of such contents.

In attaching the lids to the conventional lug boxes, either with a nailing machine or when nailed by hand, there is considerable shaking or jarring of the contents of the box with the resultant damage thereto, especially when the contents are easily-damaged fruits, such as grapes. It is another object of the present invention to provide a lid mounting for lug boxes in which no nailing operation is necessary, the lid simply being bent or arched and located in grooves in the ends of the box.

In the conventional lug box the lid is arched over the contents of the box before nailing the lid to the box, but occasionally the cover becomes flattened or loses the arched. condition 2 whereby the contents become crushed and the proper ventilation of the box is prevented. Therefore, it is another object of the invention to provide a box and lid construction in which the lid cannot flatten out or become unarched because the lid is arched between flxedly located grooves in the ends of the box. Therefore, the contents of fruit or vegetables does not become crushed and the box retains its ventilation opening between the arched lid and the upper edges of the sides of the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide grooves at the lower edges of the ends of the box complementary to the upper edges of the ends of the box, whereby when the boxes are stacked in superimposed relation, the grooves rest into and between the ends of thebox below thereby preventing longitudinal shifting of the boxes.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a lid attachment to a lug box in such a manner that the lid cannot become loosened or get out of its confined location while the boxes are stacked.

In removing the nailed lid from the.` conven`= tional lug box the contents of the box are sometimes damaged by the jarring or shaking of the box during the removal of the lid. Therefore, it is another object of the invention to provide a lug box in which the lid is removed Without nail pulling simply by arching the lid further and lifting the lid from the box.

Another object of the invention is to effect greater economy in the packaging of-fruits and vegetables. With the use of the construction of the present invention no nailing machine is necessary, thereby saving the purchasing, operating, and maintenance costs of such a machine. With no machine necessary for the lidding operation there is no possibility of down time due to a machine breakdown during the packing day when time saved is of vital importance. An economy is effected by the quick and easy placing of the lids onto the lug boxes, requiring no tools to achieve the simple arched placement of a lid between grooves in the ends of a box.

In the vast quantities that these lug boxes are used in the agricultural field, any economic improvement in the individual lugslooms great with the multiplicity of units packed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the follow-f ing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a plurality members IB. l aV substantially closed bottom and sides and an "face 29 and an inner vertical face 3S.

of stacked boxes, of our invention, showing portions thereof in vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a box superimposed on the upper edges of another box.

Fig. 3 is an isometric View of a box with the lid partially inserted thereon.

Referring to the details as shown in the drawing:

- The lug box comprises two spaced-apart, vertically positigned,wooden ends IIB. These ends are held in parallel spaced relationship by means of relatively thin horizontal longitudinal side members II nailed to the end members as indicated at I2. The box is provided with a bottom in the comparatively thin wooden bottom members I4 extending between the lower'edges of the end members IIJ. The bottom and sides are formed from thin wooden boards generally referred to as shook. The bottom member l is attached to the end members I@ by placing a cleat I5 against the under side of the 'bottom member It along each 'end'thereof and nailing upwardly, as indicated at I6, through each cleat i5, through the ends of the bottom member I a and into each o-f the end A lug box is thereby formed with open top.

This open top of the lug box is adapted to be covered after fruit and vegetables, to be packed,

stored; or shipped therein, are located in the in- 'terior of the box. This covering means, or lid i8,

is provided in a plurality of rectangular, relatively thin, .longitudinal resilient wooden lid members I9. Other suitable resilient material may be ernu ployed in place of the wooden material. A 1on fgitudinal rectangular wooden cleat 2Q is attached at 2 I* to each 'end of the plurality of lid members I9 at the upper side thereof.

Y, v |This lid I8 is adapted to cover the open upper side of the lug box, and this is accomplished by Aproviding a rectangular rabbeted' recess 23 along the inner f ace of each of the end members IIJ of the lug box, closely adjacent and parallel t0 the top edge thereof. Each recess 23 is formed into each box end member IIB and extended in- Wardly and downwardly relative to the inner face of thev end member having an upper surface 211i,V

an inner surface 25, and a lower surface 2B. The

distance between the upper surface 2d and the `lower surface 26 of each of the recesses 23 is slightly more than the combined thickness of one of the lid members I9 and one ofthe end cleats 20 attached theretof Obviously, the recesses are preferably formed in the ends prior to construction of the box.

The lid I8 is somewhat longer than the distance between the inner faces 25 of each of the recesses 23, whereby when the'lid is located in covering position overthe lugrbox, it is held in f varcl'ied condition by the ends of the coverrI 8. The

cleat 20, attached to each end ofthe lid members lsyand the ends of said lid members, engage' the inner surface 25 of each recess 23, therebymaintaining the lid in this arched condition under compression- Each cleat I5, secured against both ends ofthe bottom I4, is rabbeted longitudinally, as indicated f at 23, .this rabbeted or recessed portion being of rectangular shape having an Vupper horizontal This .rabbeted portion 28 is formed complementarily to the upper edge of each of the end members I0 of the box, whereby when the boxes are stacked vertically, in superimposed relation, each cleat` I5,

resting o n each of the end members l0 0f each inwardly and slightly upwardly inclined comple- `mentarily to the inclined angle of each cleat 20 when the lid ,is in covering position over a box. This inclined face 3| of each cleat I5 on one box engages the upper inclined surface of a, cleat 2D of a box therebelow when the boxes are stacked. This engagement of the inclined face 3l with a cleat 20 vaids in preventing inadvertent removal of the cover when the boxes are stacked. This engagement of v'the face 3| with a cleat 20 also gives further frictional engagement therebetween tending to :lessen transverse shifting of stacked boxes and transverse sliding of the lids thereon.

Operation When a box is readyA for use with its open upper side, the box is lined with a sheet of lining paper, and when certain fruits are packed, a shock absorbing, fibrous material is located in the bottom of the box. The fruit or vegetables,

to be packed in the box, are thereafter placed into the box and filled substantially level up to the lower face 25 of each of the recesses 23V in the end members I. The ends of Vthe liner paper are thereafter folded in overlapped condition'over Ythe contents of the box.

The lid I8 is thereafter located to cover the box and the contents therein, by locating one end `of the lid I8 with its attached cleat 2G into the recess 23 in one of the end members ES of the box. The operator thereafter arches the lid I8 upwardly and transversely thereby shortening the distance between the two ends of the lid, whereby the opposite end of the lid and its attached cleat 2!! may be inserted into the recess 23 in the opposite end member ID by locating the opposite end adjacent the opposite recess and releasing the lid so thatV it may straighten somewhat causing-the ative to each other.

end Aof the lid and the cleat thereon to enter the After the `lid is thus placed in position to cover the contents within the box, the refsiliencyof the lid, or its tendency to straighten out, holds the lid in arched condition and also holds the cover and attached cleats frictionally within the recess V23, whereby thelid is prevented from sliding transversely relative to the box.

With the boxes thus covered, the lids cannot become accidentally dislocated from the boxes and the 'lid is held in its arched condition by meansV of the xedly spaced recesses 23, whereby theV lid will not crush and injure the contents of the box. With the lid in arched condition aspa'ce is maintained between the lower side of thelid and the upper edge 0f each side member II whereby a` space Afor ventilation is provided at @ecb Side of tb. box.-

l When the hoses are Stacked. as they invariably are, the recess 23 in each cleat I5 engages the upper edge of each end member I0, therebypre venting the boxes fromV shifting horizontally yrel- A h rAlso when the boxes are stacked it will be seen that the cover is held by adjacent lfnre.s V ,from sliding transversely 'of the box in the recesses 23, whereby the cover cannot become inadvertently removed from the box. The lid is also frictionally held from transverse shifting relative to the box by the engagement of the face 3l of each cleat l5 with the upper inclined surface of each cleat 20. i

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that we have invented a lug box in which the lid is quickly, conveniently, and economically secured in covering position over the open side of the box to confine the contents within the box. It will also be seen that in eliminating the use of a lidding machine or any nailing of the lid whatsoever to the box that all vibration and jarring of the contents is precluded during the packaging thereof, thereby preventing damage and spoilage to the fruits or vegetables contained therein. It will also be seen that the lid will maintain its arched condition, thereby preventing the cover from lowering or being pushed downwardly thereby squeezing or injuring the contents of the box. It will be seen from the description that all of the objects and advantages hereinbefore stated are accomplished.

While we have herein shown and described our invention in what we have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of our invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described our invention. what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A structure of the class described comprising, a box having a pair of rectangular spaced parallel wooden ends, a rectangular groove rabbeted inwardly and downwardly from the inner face of each of the end members parallel to the upper edge thereof, a normally flat resilient wooden rectangular cover having a cover cleat attached along each end thereof, the cover having a, length longer than the distance between the bottoms of the grooves adapted to be located between the grooves in arched condition with the ends of the cover and terminal edges of the lid cleats received by the grooves, sides interconnecting the ends of the box and overlaying the ends of the lid cleats in the grooves, and a rectangular wooden bottom cleat attached to the lower edge of each end of the box, each bottom cleat being rectangularly rabbeted along its lower outer edge complementarily to the top edge of each end member and having an inclined ad jacent lower surface complementary to the upper surface of a, respective upper cleat of an attached cover where extended from its respective grooves whereby superimposed boxes are prevented from shifting longitudinally of the ends of the box and whereby the cover is dependably maintained in position against lateral shifting by the sides of the box and upward movement by lthe groove and superimposed cleat of a box stacked thereon.

2. A structure of the class described comprising, a box having rectangular spaced parallel wooden ends, a rectangular groove rabbeted inwardly and downwardly from the inner face of each of the end members near the upper edge thereof, a cover consisting of a plurality of normally flat resilient wooden rectangular cover members, a cover cleat attached along both ends of the plurality of cover members, the cover having a length longer than the distance between bottoms of the grooves adapted to be 1ocated between the grooves in arched condition with each cleat at the ends of the cover members having its terminal edge located in a respective groove in each end member, spaced sides interconnecting the end members and overlaying the ends of the lid cleats received by the grooves, and a rectangular wooden bottom cleat attached to the lower edge of each end of the box, each bottom cleat being rectangularly rabbeted along its lower outer edge complementarily to the top of each end member and having a projection downwardly extended providing a lower surface inwardly of the rabbeted portion inclined inwardly and slightly upwardly complementarly to the upper inclined surface of the cleat at each end of the attached cover, each projection being of a length longitudinally of its respective cleat substantially equal to the spacing of the sides of the box.

EDWARD M. ROSE. RODNEY W. EPPS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,400,426 Eaton Dec. 13, 1921 1,947,055 Moerman Feb. 13, 1934 2,255,513 Pfeffer Sept. 9, 1941 2,357,162 Barbour Aug.. 29, 1944 

